Author Interview with Fantasy Writer Will English

by Vanna on April 25, 2012

Walking with Summer Dreams by Will English

Today I have the pleasure of bringing you yet another author interview with a fellow fantasy author. Will English has written a great collection of short fantasy stories and I was very curious to find out more about it. Will’s story collection Walking with Summer Dreams can be found on Amazon, Lulu, and elsewhere. You can also learn more about Will on his blog http://thesummersleeper.blogspot.com/, while you can also befriend him on Twitter (@WillEnglish2) and Facebook. And now, on to the interview…

First of all, welcome to my blog, Will.

Thanks, Vanna. I’m glad to be here.

Was becoming a writer something you always dreamed of?

Interestingly enough, I got started with a desire to write the plots for video games, something that I still want to do at some point. When I was in middle school in 1997, I got a hold of the game Final Fantasy VII (7) for the original Sony Playstaion and the game’s plot just blew my mind in ways I hadn’t yet experienced in any other medium. I wanted to write things like that so I did. In that sense, I suppose I have always dreamed of being a writer. I decided to become a novelist after I rediscovered The Hobbit (which I only really knew from the animated movie before) and especially after I found The Lord of The Rings.

So far you have only published a short story collection. Do you have plans to write and publish a novel too?

I do. I am working on one right now…well actually I’ve been on working on it since middle school (in some form or another). I even have a short story set in the world I intend to play with in ‘Walking With Summer Dreams.’ Maybe this time I’ll actually finish a draft *laughs*.

I haven’t had the pleasure of reading your story collection. Are they standalones or do the stories follow the same character, take place in the same setting, etc?

They are all standalones. But, like the last story in the book, I might write more in the world they take place in. I dunno, depends on my mood *laughs*.
Where can readers find your work?

What experiences have you had promoting your work. Which methods have you found to be the most successful?

….I’ll have to get back to you on that lol. I’m still trying to find that out. I’m trying my hand at spamming Twitter, Facebook and trying e-tours…now that I think about I am terrible at promoting myself *laughs*.

Who are your 3 favorite writers?

I have tons upon tons that could qualify…but if I had to play favorites: Robert Jordan, Neil Gaiman, and Frank Herbert.

Do you have any tips for other Indies?

Keep trying until people stand up and notice. Don’t let anyone or anything get in your way.

I had a similar experience to yours, Will. I was blown away by the story elements in Oblivion (The Elder Scrolls IV.) Playing that game was one of the things that inspired me to write my own novel. I think I would like to write for a gaming company one day too.

Playing Oblivion was completely immersive. It was almost like reading a novel where you get to choose what happens next. I wanted to keep that experience going after finishing the game, and I thought that writing my own novel might allow me to do that. I’m happy to say things worked out better than expected: Now I can immerse myself in my own world, create my own adventure, and then share it with others. How cool is that?

About Vanna Smythe:

Vanna Smythe is on a quest to become a (bestselling) fantasy author. She does not, however, mean to quest thus alone. To keep her company along the way, she has enlisted the help of an incredible cast of characters. These characters may be from a different time, a time long ago, a time that never was, but they could all be here today, forming a part of your inner circle of friends.
She hopes you will grow to love them also, because Vanna also needs your help, since a story without a reader is like mist before the sun.
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